Khabib Nurmagomedov Reacts To UFC 294 Main Event Change: "If King Kong Can Make 155, Bring Him Here"

The former UFC lightweight champion gave his thoughts on the rapid switch-up ahead of UFC 294.

Zain Bando | Oct 11, 2023

Khabib Nurmagomedov Reacts To UFC 294 Main Event Change: "If King Kong Can Make 155, Bring Him Here" /

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has been a man of few words since retiring from MMA in 2021.

However, upon news breaking late Tuesday night from UFC CEO Dana White about Nurmagomedov's teammate, Islam Makhachev, and his last-minute rematch against current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in just 10 days, Nurmagomedov gave his two cents about what it means on the X platform.

Nurmagomedov held the title from April 2018 to Oct. 2020, defeating the likes of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje along the way.

About last news #ufc294 pic.twitter.com/xYu1uGYCZl
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) October 11, 2023

"Islam is a world champion right now," Nurmagomedov said. "If someone can make 155 and the UFC said, 'This guy's a contender.' Who cares? Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter who. If King Kong can make 155, okay, bring this guy here. Doesn't matter. I told Ali, Islam this morning, 'It doesn't matter. You're the world champion. Volk, Charles, Justin. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter who.'"

Nurmagomedov acknowledged that the first fight between Makhachev and Volkanovski was close but said Makhachev was the better fighter that night in February.

What are the stakes entering UFC 294?

Nonetheless, despite Volkanovski's absence due to a previous injury, the UFC featherweight champion is taking the fight on 10 days' notice, arguably making the new UFC 294 main event better than its original. Charles Oliveira, who suffered a severe gash on his eyebrow Monday night, was the original opponent for Makhachev.

The event is the promotion's second-straight October trip to Abu Dhabi as part of a multi-year deal. This main event is also Makhachev's second in the UAE in his last three fights, as he won the lightweight title from Oliveira last October at UFC 280.

What are your thoughts on Khabib Nurmagommedov's comments regarding Makhachev-Volkanovski 2?

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Published Oct 11, 2023

ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99